


His Pretty Doll

by FantasyIntoReality



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King, Pennywise - Fandom
Genre: Dominant Pennywise (IT), Eventual Smut, F/M, My First Work in This Fandom, Pennywise (IT) Being an Asshole, Please Don't Hate Me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:20:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22202491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyIntoReality/pseuds/FantasyIntoReality
Summary: One second, I'm having fun at a carnival that just rolled into town. The next; I'm being attacked continuously, I'm having prophetic dreams, and I'm trying to save my ass from a psychotic clown. I don't know how this is gonna go...but do you care to join me for the ride?P.S.-- I'm scared, I don't wanna be alone.*I decided to create an account on Wattpad (Gwen Winchester- Grim) and post this story on there as well. I hope it will get more recognition over there. I doubt it though. I wrote this originally on Quotev under Grim- Gwen Winchester. Don't freak out if you see it on those sites too. Love you!*
Relationships: Pennywise (IT)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

To be honest, my week was shit. Work was exhausting; I had to work Abby's night shift. Twice. And the costumers coming in lately were from out of town and didn't know the first thing about manners.  
I was running on three hours of sleep. To make things worse, the weather was just as sour as my recent mood. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore the rain. But a week-straight downpour? It was starting to get old.   
  
So, when my roomie invited to take me to the carnival with her, of course I agreed. And it was on a much-needed sunny day, how perfect! (Note the sarcasm. There's a lot in this story.)   
However, if I had known the events that would have taken place, I would've said, "Abso-fucking-lutely not," and hid under my bed for the rest of the night.  
But, I didn't have fortune-telling dreams back then, and the invitation was a break from this hell I call my life.   
Damn, if only I had known. If only.

~*~

Ok, so curtains open to the scene of us getting out of Mira's blue Toyota. We grab our wallets, keys, jackets, and other necessary items we will need for our little outing. The sun is setting, and the sky is full of bright colors. The lights and the musty old carnie music drifts across the whole parking lot. People are everywhere already, bustling between each other as if each individual couldn't wait to have the time of their lives. I thought it was dumb. It's only one night, one of many others. There is really nothing that could be different or important about this one.  
  
Of course, we shall see as the story progresses. 

We paid for our tickets, and made a bee-line to the food booths clustered in the middle of the grounds. Mira hadn't eaten yet, and grabbed a corn-dog. I, with my sweet tooth, snagged a big bag of fluffy cotton candy. With the way I scarfed it down, you'd think I hadn't eaten yet either. 

"So, what rides do you wanna try?" Mira asked through a mouthful.

I studied the rides, squinting against the lights that were so bright against the darkening sky.

"Hmm, the crazy ones. That make people puke." 

Mira stopped chewing and glared at me, "You're cruel."

I smiled and shrugged, I lived for the crazy rides; The coasters that soared on the tracks and made you scrunch your eyes in fear. I especially loved the ones that twisted its' riders upside down. Just craved the rush, the thrill.   
And with the way life has been going for the past year, I wanted to curl up and die of boredom. This carnie was small, but you could bet your ass I was gonna try the craziest rides I could manage to squirm onto.  
  
Five minutes and a potty break later, (I know; already? Mira has a small bladder, ha ha.) we were standing in line for the Zipper. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. One of my favorites.   
Mira was shifting her feet, patting herself down and putting things in pockets. The nervousness was practically wafting off of her.  
I smiled and shook my head, putting my own loose items into tight pockets.   
We stood in the line, watching the lucky bastards who got on before us screaming their heads off as the cages swung insanely.  
There were some kids ahead of us, a group was bouncing with excitement and almost knocking some other people over. Their little squeals were high pitched and rather annoying.  
  
Finally, after about five minutes of standing around, we were next for our seating and we got a cage together.  
How sweet.

Anyway, Mira made me double check as others were being seated to make sure our door was locked shut.   
I wiggled it pretty hard, but it didn't budge.  
I turned to her, "Tighter than a virgins--"   
"OH-kay, thank you for the unnecessary imagery," Mira interrupted, shooting me a look.  
I smirked at her.  
The cage gave a jolt as the ride was being filled, and Mira jumped and gripped the seat till her knuckles turned white.  
Sighing, I began, "Mira, it'll be fine. If this ride was gonna fall apart, it would've done so already."  
"Ah, very reassuring. How do we know it won't break down on our turn?" She was peering through the walls to the ground below.  
She was psyching herself out, and I wasn't about to call the director to let her off.  
"It won't."  
I leaned back against the seat. We had a good view, and we were gazing out across the tops of tents.  
Better enjoy it now, I thought. 

Soon, the ride began to buzz and make that noise that shuts everybody up.  
It was beginning.   
Mira grabbed my hand, and braced herself against her side of the cage. I grinned and gripped her hand as we started flying uncontrollably.  
The creaking of old screws and nails made the whole thing seem even more crazy and even dangerous as it mixed with the screams of other thrill-seekers.  
All I could do was laugh, lean back and partially hold Mira as she squealed her head off.   
  
When the ride was over, and Mira was safely on the ground and had scurried several away from the Zipper, I noticed that all that flinging around had upset my own bladder, and I had to go. I told her to meet me at the ticket booth when the deed was finished. 

A few booths later, I'm worming my way through the large crowd. Kids, parents, couples, and even a few loners were scattered throughout the booths and squealing with joy on the many rides. All sorts of games were running loudly, children screamed with excitement. I ignored the directors who whistled to get my attention, I wasn't interested in getting cheated out of my money, er, tickets.  
Whatever, same thing.

To be honest, a headache was beginning to swirl in my temple from all the lights, smells, and ridiculous noises.  
Thankfully, the porta-potties were in sight at the edge of the grounds, and there were no people, so I just about started running before a line had the chance to form.

"Hello~" a voice cooed out of the darkness.  
  
I froze mid-step and whirled around. Who the fuck did I miss? I swore I was alone.  
I squinted my eyes in the dark; there were barely any lights in this part of the ring, which was sketchy now that I think about it. There was a row of wooden sheds and empty tarped-covered booths nestled against the fence line.  
Movement was caught in the corner of my eye in between the two sheds.  
I backed up, sticking my hand in my pocket to slowly grab the silver knife. 

A tall shadow stepped out into the faint light of the carnie rides that were so many yards behind it. Crazy red hair stuck out in every direction, nearly glowing on the shadow's head. Their cream colored outfit was tight around the waist, and poufy on the shoulder and thighs, giving them a funny look. It was only when the light caught the little red puff-balls on it's torso did I realize it was an old-fashioned looking clown. 

"Who are you, and why are you stalking me?" I demanded.

The person laughed, their exaggerated shoulders bouncing.   
"I just wanna make some friends, and you seem lovely! I'm new to these parts, you see."  
By the voice, it was clearly male. It was also scratchy, like the guy hadn't had a drink of water in ages. 

"Don't you travel with the carnival?" I asked.

This guy was giving me the shivers. A tall, sketchy looking clown is hanging around the empty porta-potties, and I'm a female. Alone. Tell me that's not fucking creepy. 

He stepped forward. "You could say that," his head cocked to the side, as if in thought. "I don't participate very often, however. Not a lot of people like the sight ol' Pennywise." he let out a sob.

"Sight, huh?" I muttered. "It would be nice if I could see you." 

'Pennywise' let out a giggle, and as if on cue a porch light switched on from the shed.  
Now that he was visible, I sucked in a breath.   
Pennywise was kinda….scary looking. His large forehead, drooping lips, and his deep brow....he made other clowns look normal. And might I add; he had the biggest buck-toothed grin I had ever seen.  
And those eyes. Those damn eyes. One could've sworn he was staring into their soul.

Pennywise giggled again, stepping towards me. "You could say that, too."

My mind blanked. "What-?" What the fuck.  
There's no way that's possible. My eyes were wide with disbelief.  
My fingers tightened around the knife, and I slipped it out of my pocket, snapping it open with my thumb. 

"Oh, darling." He sang, swinging his long arms and prancing forward.

In shock I stumbled backwards, this was not normal. My breath quickened.  
He stopped in front of me, his shadow looming over my figure as he peered into my eyes. "Tell me, what's your perception of normal?"

In a flash, before I even knew what was going on, this man's gloved hand was over my throat and my body was in the air. Pennywise's face twisted into a huge evil grin, baring needle-like teeth. My hands clung to his wrists as my legs flailed and I struggled to breathe. Light bounced off my blade as it fell to the dirt.   
He laughed insanely, his yellow eyes going cross. His mouth began to rip wider, revealing even more teeth. "Your fear," he gurgled, "It smells delicious on you." Pennywise brought me to his face, and he took a deep breath at the crook of my neck. 

I was terrified. My mind was racing and I didn't know how to react, nothing had prepared me for this.

"So hungry," he growled, his (big-ass) teeth brush my skin.

In a last-ditch effort to save my life and throw him off, at least long enough for me to think of a plan, (and I was totally convinced it wouldn't work) I sputtered, "You know, I came here for a couple of reasons."

He pulled away, glaring at me, his eyes a window into Hell. Like a curious puppy, his head cocked to the right. "Care to tell?"   
I could see he was only humoring me. Playing with his food, you could say.  
  
"Well, I wanted to have fun, maybe meet a guy." I gasped.  
Fear curled in my chest, growling at me to shut up, that I was just making myself look stupid before I met my untimely end. 

He snorted.  
  
"And maybe I could have gotten some fucking dick," I admitted.  
Hey, if I'm gonna die, why not confess? And it seemed to confuse him, as he lifted me away from his face and looked at me like I was the one about to eat someone. 

"But a couple of different things will be meeting tonight." I continued.

"Mmhmm? And what exactly might that be?" a smirk pulled at his drooling lips.

"My boot-" I curled my legs up to my stomach, "and your face."  
And in a second, my left leg was hooked around the back of his neck, and my right boot was crushed underneath his chin. I had him pinned and choking for air.  
I didn't wanna kill the guy, but I already got the idea that he wasn't human, so I twisted my boot hard against his throat and snapped something; maybe his windpipe. It was hard to tell, seeing as he had immediately dropped me to the ground and screeched inhumanly.  
I scrambled to my feet and grabbed my knife, watching him scream and stumble backwards, grabbing at his broken neck for a split second before I took off in the direction of the ticket booth. 

When I reached Mira, I grabbed her arm and began dragging her towards the entrance.   
Mira stumbled and let out a confused, "Hey!" 

"We need to leave. Now." My voice was firm and cold.

She pulled and tried to free herself. But there was no way we were hanging around to see if that monster recovered and began hunting me down. Eventually though, after a few more tugs Mira slipped through my stony grip and yelled, "What's going on with you?!" earning a couple of stares from some passersby.

I turned around and the crowd seemed clear, my voice had dropped low in an attempt to sound calm, despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins.  
"I will explain everything in the car, but right now we are in danger and need to get home."

Her expression went from angry to concerned in an instant. Her eyes searched for something in my own, but when she didn't find what she was looking for, she nodded and dug into her pockets for the keys as she began speed walking beside me towards the parking lot.  
That was one of the things I loved about Mira. She didn't question when things got bad; she shut up, listened, and did what had to be done. 

We were in the car, Mira slowed to a stop at our second red light. Since we strapped ourselves in, it was quiet. The atmosphere in the car was tense, and I cracked a window for some fresh air.   
Mira glanced at me, "Can you shed some light on this situation?" 

The next ten minutes, I am explaining the whole thing. She let the occasional 'hum's and 'holy shit's that made it clear she was paying attention. Light passed over our faces from passing street lamps, giving me an eerie feeling. It had also begun to rain again. Thunder rumbled above us, not helping the anxiety nesting in my lungs.  
  
When I finished, Mira was at a loss for words.  
We both knew that the thing- Pennywise, as he called himself- wasn't human. Or not completely, anyhow. We spent the remainder of the ride home playing a guessing game.   
"Maybe he's a demon, that seems the most probable answer." Mira thought. "You said he read your mind, humans can't do that."  
"Maybe," a sigh escaped me, "But I'm not sure what he is. I would have liked to think he was just a psycho cannibal, but after that trick he pulled with his mouth, I'm afraid demon is the best answer."  
If he was a psycho cannibal, at least he would have been human. And if he was human, he could be killed. If necessary, of course.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, you go clean yourself up, and I'll throw on a movie." Mira threw her purse onto the table near the front door.  
The idea of a hot shower suddenly made me realize how grimy and grossed out I felt. A yearning came out of nowhere to relax my tense muscles and meditate with the hot water. There was dirt in my hair, and all over my clothes.  
I was suddenly rushing to my room and rummaging through drawers, gathering up some large articles of clothing. I felt her eyes on me before the bathroom door shut me from view.

Stripping immediately, I started the faucets. Steam soon began filling the bathroom, moisture clung to the walls and heat crawled up my body.  
I wiped the mirror, examining the purplish bruises that had begun to appear around my throat. The skin was delicate and tender. Gazing into my own green eyes, anxiety began to rise and spread throughout my body. Running my fingers through my dark pixie, dirt fell to the sink.  
All air had suddenly left my lungs, and I was trying desperately to get it back.

"It's over now. He can't hurt you. You're fine." but tears had already spilt down my cheeks. Try as I might to pretend that the clown hadn't scared me, in the end I knew I could never forget the encounter.  
Those piercing yellow eyes will be forever burned into the walls of my memory. The fear he etched into my being will sit in my heart for a very, very long time.  
My knuckles strained and turned white as my fingers gripped the sink counter.

I hyperventilated for a good couple of minutes, but once the distress had faded, anger immediately took its place, settling itself deep in my chest like a resting lion. I wiped away the remaining tears with quaking hands. Those evil yellow orbs gazed at me in my minds' eye.  
I should've stabbed him.  
I should've gorged those fucking eyes out.  
I should've just not gone in the first place.  
Whatever, I can't change the past. But what I can do is expect the unexpected. Be prepared for any situation. Try to become more aware of my surroundings.  
And I'm afraid the only other thing I could do is attempt to forget; bury Pennywise and his disturbing hunger into the depths of my own mind with the drudging, endless, unfair cycle of human life.

Once tense muscles melted under the steaming water. The shower head was on, yet I sat on the floor of the tub, curled with my knees to my chest. The thrum of the pipes were decent company. Water swirled around the drain before being slurped down and away from view.  
Thoughts of sewers and drains also accompanied me; what was it like to be water? To be continuously reused, recycled into all sorts of things humans need. How long did it take for a single drop of water to return to the sky, where it's supposed to be? 

Thoughts of nonsense of that sort were becoming overwhelming and I was zoning out pretty hard. Eventually, I remembered why I was in the bathroom and stood to start washing my hair. Mint filled my nostrils as soap and bubbles cascaded down my back. I began zoning out again, unfortunately.

But the sound of incomprehensible whispering dragged my mind back to reality.

I freaked, eyes snapping open. Yanking the curtain back, I saw no one. But there was no way I could blame nerves. I know I heard something.  
My suspicions were confirmed when the whispering began again, then morphed into loud, childish giggling. It was coming from the drain.  
My eyes were locked onto it, expecting to see a hand or an eyeball float up and clog the pipes, maybe even some big wad of hair to seep out into the tub. Expecting something terrifying to happen.  
Then suddenly, clear vision was filled with a dark crimson. 

A scream clawed its way from my throat, I fell into and pulled the shower curtain down with me the cold bathroom floor. I was covered in blood, and there were puddles and streaks all over the floor like a murder scene. 

There was a pounding at the door. "Spence, are you ok? Spencer!" 

I scrambled backwards, scooting on my bare ass until my back was pressed against the door, and I reached up to unlock it. Mira poked her head in, and ignoring the fact that I was completely naked, rushed in and dropped to her knees. I began sobbing uncontrollably in her arms.

"What happened, Spencer? Tell me." she grabbed my face.

All I could do was point. "Blo--blo--the water." 

She turned to the running shower, and I peered over her shoulder.  
There was no blood. Just steamy water. The puddles were gone, the streaks.  
The only mess in there was me.

Mira refused to leave me alone in the bathroom to finish my shower. And when I did, she stood outside as I got dressed.  
Only after my feet met the chill wood of the hallway floor had Mira decided it was ok to leave me unsupervised, and she disappeared around the corner to make popcorn in the kitchen. I had the remote, leaning into the plush cushions of the couch and flipped through the channels on the TV. The sounds of Mira clashing around filled the room, and soon the smell of kettle corn wafted into my nostrils.

However, I couldn't focus.

Obviously, the clown had survived my attempted attack, and he somehow found our apartment.

Wait wait wait wait- that's impossible. There's no way that was real, I thought. But the fear, the fear was real. 

I sighed aggressively, glaring at the screen. All that pep talk in the mirror did no help. I realized how difficult it would be to be to try and forget about the encounter if my mind kept pulling tricks like this. 

Mira's voice erupted with a loud, "GIRL'S NIGHT!" from behind, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. 

We had decided a comedy, to lighten the mood.  
But it didn't help much.  
I only dazed at the TV, not absorbing any of the comedic happenings that Mira was snorting at. I was silently considering the circumstances.  
It took two movies for me to relax and finally get into the plots, and simply having my best friend beside me put me at ease. As long as I wasn't alone, I was sure I would be fine.


	3. Chapter 3

Mira had fallen asleep on the couch before the credits rolled. I smiled at her still form and snuck to her room to grab her blanket. She twisted in her sleep, and gave a cute little snore. I covered her with her favorite fuzzy blanket before I turned to retire to my own room.

The moonlight was shining through my window, casting the shadows of objects and tree branches all across the floor and walls. The black comforter on my bed was thick and warm, and I curled up underneath it, pulling it over my head. My stomach came alive with butterflies. It felt as though a pair of eyes were searing holes into my blanket. I tried brushing it off, but my brain wouldn't let me forget it if I wanted to. 

I had no idea how I got there, and I don't even know where there was. I just remember peering into a large hole.  
A light wind blew through the cool, crisp air, guiding my eyes to my surroundings.  
I was somewhere with a lot of trees, the stars shined down and the full moon allowed me to see that I was, in fact, standing in front of a large drain pipe. The smell of sewage was wafting up from the little stream trickling out of it. 

I let my eyes wander around. The trees were full of leaves and swaying in the breeze, which carried the faint scent of rain upon it. It was actually quite peaceful, I had even thought of sitting down and just watching the sky. And I probably would have, if every cell in my body wasn't buzzing with vigilance, advising me to leave. And trust me, I was going to turn the hell around and bounce.

Probably.  
Eventually.

But before I could make up my mind, a chuckle echoed from somewhere in the tunnel and caught my attention. 

"Ring around the rosie-" the gruff voice began. 

'Oooohhh shit, here we go,' I thought.

"Pockets full of posie~"

I took a few steps backwards as a dim, yellow light appeared, swaying gently- and almost hypnotically- with the melody.

"Ashes, ashes~" the voice grew deeper and more demonic.  
"We-"  
"All-"  
"Fall..."

The voice echoed into a disturbing silence, and the light faded.

Behind me, I felt a sudden warmth, as if some idiot who didn't understand the meaning of personal space was standing way too close at the check out line in Walmart.  
But, in this case, the idiot decided to clutch a gloved hand around my neck and use the other to snag my left wrist.

Rude.

"Down." Pennywise whispered in my ear. His voice was husky and his hot breath tickled my ear.

He was squeezing hard enough to cause some difficulty breathing, but not too much to stop me from spitting, "You again? Do me a favor, and fuck off," and my hand flew to his, trying to pry his nasty fingers off of me. 

"Oh? Kitty has claws, I see!" he chuckled. 

His scent floated- well, was more like forced, since it was so strong- into my nostrils, and I gagged. He smelled sweet, like cotton candy and caramel. But it had a threatening, underlying smell of rotting flesh.

"Yeah, couldn't you tell from our last little meeting?" I retorted. "By the way, how'd my boot taste? Would you like to try some more?"  
My voice was a bit more sneery than I would dub as safe in the current position- he could easily snap my neck, or take a big chomp outta my throat like he wanted to last time. Besides, my precious Harley's weren't on my feet tonight. Instead, I was in my pajamas; a pair of linen shorts and my xxL Insane Clown Posse t-shirt.  
In other words, my outfit could not aid me in this situation. 

Pennywise's grip tightened. He was getting mad. "Not as good as your flesh is gonna be. I can't wait till I'm picking it out of my teeth with pieces of your broken vertebrae."  
He giggled grossly, and I felt suspicion of what was a bit of drool dribble onto my exposed shoulder, as if the thought of eating me alive was very appetizing. Ah, hell. It's obvious that to him human flesh was a bit of a delicacy. By the way he was inhaling my scent, one could tell that he was starving. 

And I'm afraid to admit, I didn't have a good comeback to that one. In response, I just used my right arm to jab him in the chest as hard as possible, given the current position. Surprisingly, I was the one to yelp in pain. It was like elbowing a stone statue.

"Silly Spencer, you can't hurt me." Pennywise chuckled.  
His nails drew blood through his gloves.

"Wanna bet, asshole?"

That took him by surprise. He was probably just shocked by how stupid I am, and went quiet. At this point, I was practically asking to be eaten.

He let go, giving me a hard shove for good measure. I whipped around, expecting him to take a lunge. But he was gone. 

"You best hope that your little stunts keep my hunger at bay, because you are simply entertaining." his voice carried on the breeze, though he was nowhere to be seen. "And pray to your god that I don't rip your throat out the next time I see you."

I glanced around furiously, trying to find where this motherfucker went off to.

"Till we meet again." and his sadistic giggle was carried away with the stars.

I awoke in a cold sweat, and with an aching elbow. Glancing at the clock on my bed side table, I pulled the sheets to wipe moisture from my neck.  
1:22 shone proudly in red. Unfortunately, I wasn't gonna be going back to sleep anytime soon.

~*~

For the next two nights, sleep was difficult to come by. My plans were simple yet again; Get up, go to work, go home, go to bed. Or attempt to, anyway.

Mira made it a point to stay by my side whenever she was around. And when I had told her about my nightmare, she gave me some meds that were supposed to knock me out and keep away the dreams. I had abandoned them in my sock drawer. I just couldn't risk it. 

Soon, three days had gone by. Then a week. All without an incident caused by a certain stupid clown. My brain managed to convince me it was all a hallucination of some sort; the encounter, the shower incident, the dream. Maybe someone spiked my cotton candy at the fair. I tried not to think too much about it.  
Once, I took a chance and tried the pills. No nightmares to be remembered.

My life had gone back to the same, mundane routine. All the days blurred together. On Tuesdays, we had tacos. And Fridays, we made spaghetti for dinner. Every Sunday, we ordered a pizza. If Mira was content, then so was I.

Whatever. I was just happy that everything was back to normal, even if it was the definition of boring. 

~*~

I returned home one day to find Mira waiting for me at the front door, all set and ready to go.  
"Where we headed?" I eyed her bulging purse, raising a brow.

"I got my check and some cash to spare, I wanna snag a few things from Barns and Noble." a grin spread across her face.

I forgot to mention that Mira was an avid reader. Half of the living room was dedicated to her books. There was like, three tall shelves just packed with them. I argued with her on one occasion about how she was going to move them all if we decided to pack our things and bail this shitty apartment, but she stood her ground; her books were her children.

Eh, I could see her point. Literature was a way for one to escape this shitty commitment called life.  
Maybe I'll pick one up, Lord knows I haven't actually finished a book since the eleventh grade. I'd be an asshole for making her leave them all behind anyway.

After I had changed into my favorite Misfit's shirt, tugged on some loose cargo pants and my boots, we ventured down the million flights of stairs and clambered into her car.

I will admit, even though I didn't read for shit, I loved how peaceful the bookstore was. It was cozy, with some people scattered here and there, hidden between the many tall shelves and buried in their own little worlds. It was embarrassingly impossible for me to wrap my head around. I just can't sit still long enough to become absorbed in a story. 

"Oh! They finally have the last book to the House Of Night series!" Mira exclaimed, pulling a hardback from the top shelf. She was practically bouncing on her feet from excitement, and flipped through the pages. 

I left her to her own as I decided to roam the shop. There were stands of books everywhere, and even had some interesting collectibles. You know, your typical Barnes and Noble interior. 

A sigh escaped my lips as I browsed the horror section. I ran my finger along the labels, not even processing the titles.

The bright lights above were beginning to give me a headache, and the walls were starting to dance due to sleep deprivation.

I turned the corner, eventually ending up in an aisle of cryptozoology and compilations of ghost stories and alien sightings. Basically, my kinda topics.

I began analyzing titles, but what I was looking for didn't seem to be there.

"Ah," found it.

I pulled a heavy hardback from between a couple of conspiracy collections and flipped it over.  
Encyclopedia of Demons, Spirits, and Magik. 

It seemed cheesy, not gonna lie. But hey, if it at least gave me a clue about what that thing was, I'm open to anything.  
And yes, I know I said I let it go, blah blah blah. But I wanted to know. And what if he popped up again? It wouldn't hurt to be informed about what I would be dealing with.  
At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

I kept the book on me until Mira was checking out, then we drove back home.


	4. Chapter 4

I never get around to things. I have a big issue with procrastination. So when I say that the book sat on my desk for a week, I know you understand.  
Of course, it nagged at me. But I just didn't care. The terror Pennywise caused, and simply the idea of him, had little to no effect on my thoughts anymore. It all seemed so far away, like it never happened. And until another gimmick occured, I was completely down to just forget that horrible night. 

But something did come up that kinda urged me to get my ass moving with this whole 'investigation' of mine. 

I got home from work, took a shower, and hung out with Mira for an hour before retiring to my room. All I really do every night was scroll through Instagram, Facebook, then watch some Game Grumps on YouTube before eventually passing out with my phone in my hand. Tonight was no different.

Except the dreams. 

I had stopped taking the pills. I wanted to sleep without the aid of a dream-killer. However, that wasn't the case.  
When I had fallen asleep, the usual darkness greeted me with ease.  
Soon, however, I found myself in the middle of a small, desolate town. 

The town was clearly very old, with tall, almost Victorian buildings, many trees, and ancient looking shops. It was broad daylight, but no one was running around doing their daily errands. It had a familiar rain-scented breeze as dreary looking clouds rolled in from the east.  
I simply walked down the street, getting situated as my eyes wandered. The stores had big old windows, with antiques and a lot of curious items sitting and collecting dust. Cars sat abandoned on the roads. Even a couple of rusted bikes were just tossed on the sidewalk, as if some kids had just lost interest and walked away, leaving them to undertake the weather.

A twinge of annoyance and suspicion hit me. Where the hell was I? 

Minutes and houses passed, and I found myself beholding a large, red brick building. I glanced at the green sign on the overgrown lawn-  
Derry Public Library. 

Hmm. Derry, huh?

I know I wasn't here for no reason, so what's so significant about this town? I shrugged to myself; maybe Pennywise had nothing to do with this. Maybe this is just a normal dream and I'm just reading too much into it. I tend to do that a lot as well, so I wouldn't be surprised.  
Read too much into things, I mean.

Curious, I advanced onwards. The door was kinda busted down, hanging off of its hinges, allowing one to enter. 

The inside was typical, with dark glossy shelves and many tables. The only thing that really threw me off was how desolate and lonesome it seemed. Cobwebs hung in every corner, bits of paper and books were scattered everywhere. Even a few fancy lights had fallen from the ceiling at some point. The walls were tall, with sleek dark wood gracing its supports.  
It would've been elegant back in it's day.

"What the actual fuck happened here?" I whispered to myself, trailing a finger across a very dust counter. 

My feet made the softest noise as I looked among the shelves. Something was tugging my gut, as if it was urging me to find something. What was it?  
Hell if I knew. 

After a while, I gave up. I was sure that if I found what I was searching for, I would know. 

I kicked at a chair that had been sitting there for God knows how long, and took a seat. I tapped my fingernails on the table beside me, just thinking and glancing about. Listening to the silence. Rain had begun to pitter-patter against the roof, just adding more to the eerie atmosphere. 

Eventually something caught my eye. A red balloon had appeared in a dark doorway on the opposite side of the room. It just hovered, not moving. 

Should I follow it..?

Meh, too late. 

I gazed at it and drew closer. Soon though, it had floated out of view. I almost ran to catch it.  
When I peered through the way, it had made it to the top of some broken stairs. Stepping carefully, I caught up with it. The top of the stairs were almost pitch black.  
Common sense was saying, 'stop following a creepy red balloon into a sketchy dark room.'  
And I sorta listened; a window that was covered with a thick curtain caught my eye and I tore it down, bringing dust and the metal rod clanging to the floor. Light flooded in. 

There was one large table in the middle of the room, which was small. It was covered in piles of books, old papers, and other small trinkets. The only thing on the floor was a few more books.

The balloon was gone.

I walked cautiously to the table, glancing and rummaging around. Someone must have been studying something pretty hard, there were notes and unreadable sketches all over the place. I was throwing books on the floor as I was reading them, not really giving a damn.  
That is, until a title made my gut twist.  
I wiped all the dust off, seeing the green leather cover shine through.  
History of Old Derry

This town had to be ages old, because that book was thicc (haha) and weighed a ton. 

I flipped through it. There were old headlines of newspapers, dates and information about exciting events. Blah blah blah, the basic crap.  
However, I came across a few ripped clippings that somebody had obviously just shoved in between the pages. Whether they were bookmarks or not, I read them anyway. 

And boy, did my blood run cold. 

They were torn bits of missing childrens' flyers. Their names, ages, and other relevant information covered the pages. I flipped the book upside down by its covers and shook it out. A ton more came fluttering to the floor like confetti. Dread began to spread through me as I scooped them up, unfolding and straightening them all out-  
Edward Kaspbrak.  
Richard Tozier.  
Beverly Marsh.  
John Ortega.  
Henry Bowers.  
Ben Hanscom.  
Bill Denbrough.  
Stanly Uris.  
Maddison Wilson.  
Georgie Denbrough.

I couldn't read the rest, my stomach was churning.  
All these kids had gone missing, and judging by the dates, not too long from each other. My mind was reeling. How could that many children go missing, from what the flyers said, within several months to a year? Especially in this tiny, harmless town? What happened to them? 

That's when I noticed the year--1990. If most of those kids were around twelve years old, and if they were alive today they would be in their late thirties, early forties. But there were still many other flyers. Some kids were younger, and even a few adults were in the pile.  
I shook my head in disbelief. This was unreal. Nothing this sad could be true. 

That's when I remembered that this was a dream. I wanted to wake up, this was too real for me. I dropped the book, flinging the papers away, and turned to leave. However, I stopped in my tracks.  
The balloon was hovering in front of the stairs. It slowly twisted around, and a gasp caught in my throat. 

'We all float down here.' was written sloppily across its smooth surface. 

Fuck me. He was back.


	5. Chapter 5

I had the day off, so when I awoke, I kinda lied in bed, deep in thought. I could hear Mira getting ready to leave for work. The sunshine peeked through dark curtains, as if to say hello. 

After Mira had left, I got up, took a hot shower, and made some breakfast in our cramped kitchen. The smell of pancakes and bacon flooded the apartment.

I retreated into my room with breakfast, grabbing the new book. On the way, I kinda stole one of the newer journals Mira had lying around.  
I flopped back into bed, my phone beside me. 

I flipped the blank journal open, titling the new page, 'Creepy Bastard.'   
I didn't know how to begin. I don't even know who- or what- this thing really was. Where did he come from? Why was he here?   
I shook my head, I'm getting way too ahead of myself. Let's just make this simple, and start from the beginning;   
-Meeting him at the carnival  
-The bathroom situation  
-The first dream  
-Fill in the few weeks that went by without any incidents  
-The book  
-The second dream  
The first twenty or so pages were filled.

After I had written all the details down, I began to list questions, beginning with the important ones;  
-Who was Pennywise?  
-What is his origin?  
-What has he done?  
-He's clearly not human, what is he?  
-Any more relevant information would be nice  
-Why did he choose me?  
I scratched out the last part. Something was saying that I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time when he tried to devour me. 

The next two hours were spent thumbing through the book and doing internet research on my phone. There were all sorts of things he could be according to the encyclopedia; demon, jinn, bugbear, imp, kobold, and poltergeist. The were a few other things I put in a 'maybe' column.   
Of course, even 'vampyre' came up, but I highly doubted that. 

Eventually, everything came to a dead end, and I just couldn't think of anything that could help. I decided to take a break from this obsession and went to the kitchen to put my plate in the sink and watch TV.

Mira had the TV switched to a channel that was playing Scooby Doo, and it allowed my thoughts to wander as the gang was trying to set some traps for- what a coincidence- a clown. I giggled as Shaggy began whimpering about how scared and hungry he was. Shaggy was always my favorite character, since I could speak.

Then the commercial came on, I dazed off into space, reliving and analyzing my latest nightmare.  
The town was so empty...I could only wonder where all the people had gone.   
What if he killed them all?   
And the library...what was it called? Denton Public Library? Dewey? No...it started with a D, though. Maybe if I could remember...

A shock zapped my body and I jolted up, "DERRY!"

I got up and ran to my room, belly-flopping onto my bed and grabbing my phone, typing up 'derry public library' in the search bar.   
"Aha!"   
Derry Public Library, located in Derry, Maine.   
Maine?   
I clicked on images, heart thumping rapidly with excitement. The town had looked exactly like the town in the dream, except there were people. At least it wasn't the ghost town I thought it was.   
I swore I was onto something, so with jittery thumbs, I added along to the sentence, 'missing kids 1990'.

I clicked on a link, and there, on the screen laughing up at me, were the happy photos of the children in the dream.  
Edward Kaspbrak.  
Richard Tozier.  
Beverly Marsh...

All of them, plus some from years prior. Like, years prior. My jaw dropped as the list went on and on, until I got to black and white photos. Anxiety began to eat at me with every name I read. 

I shook my head, dropping my phone and sitting for a moment to calm my nerves. Then the realization that I should be putting it all down hit me, and I wrote furiously in the journal.  
The town, names, dates, ages, locations. The most recent ones, anyway. Those were from twenty-seven years ago. The others; and I did the math, were from twenty-seven years before them. Which was odd...  
Eventually, I found that all of the mass disappearances were exactly twenty-seven years from each other. The strange pattern proved to be on the point.  
Like, what the fuck, man?

I added another question to my list; What the hell- if he has anything to do with this, and I wouldn't doubt it- does Pennywise have to do with the missing children? Was he the cause of this, or was there just a bunch of copycats keeping the tradition?


	6. Chapter 6

When Mira got home, I met her on the couch and showed her my progress. With great difficulty- the fear of being ridiculed was festering in my chest.

"I thought you weren't having the nightmares anymore?" she asked, sipping a cup of hot cocoa. The candy cane sticking out of it was giving off a sweet minty aroma, mixing deliciously with the chocolate. 

I shrugged, trying to play it off, "They came back last night. Well, I only had one. But still, I don't wanna see where they go from here."

Mira nodded. She flipped through the journal, her brows furrowed. Meanwhile, I just switched on the TV to The Office's reruns. Dinner was simmering on the stove, and every couple of minutes I got up to tend to it. 

"Hey, when do you wanna start putting up Christmas decorations?" Mira called over the couch, her voice carrying to me across the way.

"What? It's only November." I said, flipping a piece of breaded chicken. Thanksgiving hasn't even come around yet. Well, the neighbors are already decorating. We'll see what Mira wants to do; decorating is one of her many talents. 

"You know, it's strange that the dream you had gave you real information," Mira began when I returned. "And especially since you've never been to Maine, or probably didn't even know it existed." she gave me a funny look and I laughed.   
She had a point though; for the longest time I thought Washington state was right above New York, which, apparently, is were Maine is. I know I know, I can feel you cringing behind your monitor. But what can I say? I never paid attention in geography.

"I can only assume it's because that ass-clown had a part in it." I reminded her. \  
Maybe. I am still skeptical myself. 

"Yeah... and there's also something I gotta tell you," Mira blurted, scratching the back of her head. It was obvious she's been sleeping on something for a while. "And I don't think you're gonna like it, given the circumstances."  
I looked at her, "Spill it." Nothing can phase me at this point. I've literally seen it all.

Mira turned away, placing the yellow mug on the coffee table and hunched in her seat. "Well, um,"  
She tugged at her long brown hair, avoiding my eyes. 

I raised a brow, "Mira, stop it. It can't be that bad-"

"IhavefamilyinMaineandIwaswonderingifyouwouldcomewithme--"

"What??" 

She took a deep breath. "I--I have family in Maine, and my Mom is sick, so I was thinking of moving there, and I don't wanna leave you here in this hell hole, so I was wondering if you would come with me." she winced, peering up at me.

I was shocked. I'll admit it, I sure as hell wasn't expecting that. 

"Where in Maine...?"

"They live in Derry, Spencer."


	7. Chapter 7

"They live in Derry?? Are you kidding me?!" I began to panic. There's no way this was happening.  
No way.  
Nuh uh.  
Not going.  
There's no way this could possibly be a coincidence. 

"Yes, I know, I was gonna ask you like, yesterday. But I forgot--"

"DERRY?!" I gripped the couch cushions, then the smell of burnt chicken wafted into the room, ushering me from my seat to take them off the pan.

Mira followed close behind, a worried look on her face. She was babbling quickly, trying to make a good argument or something, I wasn't paying attention. My brows furrowed in concentration, lifting the lid and placing the pieces of chicken on paper-towel covered plates with a pair of tongs. Smoke and steam filled the kitchen.

"Dude, I can't go. This is what he wants! I would be inviting my own death with open arms." a couple drops of hot grease spat onto my arm and I hissed, turning off the heat. I reached over the counter to open the tiny window to let the smoke out, we are almost choking on it. 

"Spencer, listen to me- you won't be inviting your own death- and I can't leave you here! Your job sucks, it wouldn't pay enough for even a smaller apartment!" 

"I still can't go, man. I- maybe I'll take up like, two jobs. Or three! And I can stay here while you go to Maine." I turned to her, crossing my arms. I'm not leaving.

Mira grabbed me, looking me in the eyes, "You know damn well that wouldn't work. And what are we doing?" She threw her hands in the air, turning around and pacing.   
"Look at us! All this arguing over a clown and a nightmare! You can't just plan your life around someone that may or may not even be here anymore. You're giving him the control he wants over you-- If he's even here at all!" 

I remained stoic, listening. 

Mira turned back to me, taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, what I'm saying is that this is insane. For all we know, that could've been just a nightmare caused by trauma. I don't think he's here anymore. It's been weeks since the carnival, he's long gone."  
She pleaded at me with those big brown eyes.   
"That stupid thing is gone, and you're freaking over a dream. Starting the journal was a good decision, it'll help you cope. But you read way too much into that dream. Nothing crazy has happened in forever." 

I raised my brow and anxiety flooded though me, "What are you saying?" my act began to fall.

Mira sighed, dropping her hands. "I'm saying that maybe you should come with me. And drop this stupid clown nonsense. And, if it is necessary, to perhaps...talk to someone when we get there. A therapist. Maybe it would help with all this."

I blinked at her, "You- you think I'm crazy?"   
My arms slapped against my sides, glaring at her.   
"You think I'm making this all up?" 

She stared firmly at me, "No, I don't think you're crazy. I think you're traumatized by this monster and feeding the fear he's instilled into you." 

I shook my head. "Feeding the fear that he's-- what? No. I'm not risking it. I know I sound crazy, I can hardly believe it actually happened. But I--"   
I gave up, at loss for words. The more I thought about it, the more sense it all made, and the more I began to believe Mira. After all, she's my best friend. My roomie, my sister. She wants the best for me...right?

What if I am crazy, and just reading way too much into this? 

She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to finish. She was genuinely concerned for my mental health here. And I loved her for that. But maybe she was right.   
I stared at the ground, clutching at my clothes. 

Mira sighed, taking a step forward and enveloping me in a hug.   
"Listen, I know you're stressed. You need a break. Just going to work and being cooped up here all the time isn't helping."  
She leaned away and gripped my face, "I'm off tomorrow, too. We should go to a park, or the roller rink. Get out of the house, have some fun." 

I nodded, leaning into her. She squeezed tightly for a minute before letting go.

"You need a good night's rest, a fun day out, and girl time with your bestie." she whispered. 

And with that settled for the moment, we grabbed our dinner and headed back out to the couch. She put on a Kevin Hart comedy, and it lightened the mood. I was content on doing what she said and forgetting about all of this. And not just for the night, but for a very, very long time.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Mira came in and woke me up by yanking the covers off of me. 

"Up up up!" She sang, and opened the curtains. 

I rolled over, gripping my pillow, "Nooooo, too tired...gonnagetmoresleep.."  
"Get up, Spence. We are gonna have a girls day," Mira gripped my ankles and tugged hard, almost bringing me to the floor with a squeal. 

We both giggled, and I gave up. 

"Fine, lemme just take a shower first." 

When I finished, I turned the faucets off and clambered out of the tub. The chilly air kissed my wet skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. The outfit I had chose was simple; black torn shorts, my ripped 'punk's not dead' crop top and the usual black boots. Of course, I couldn't forget the routine accessories; a couple of chokers, my spiked bracelet, some chains, and my old blade clipped in my pocket.   
(Yeah I know, 'cringy'. Just go with it.)

We stopped at Sonic and grabbed some breakfast and sat in the drive through, contemplating where to go first. 

"Hmm...what about the mall? Go clothes shopping and just walk around." Mira started, "You could do with a new-- wardrobe." she glanced at my outfit. 

"Hey, don't hate on the punk." I chuckled. Then, just to be cheesy, said, "That's society's job."

She rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her soda. I dug into my burger. She gave me the onions off of her own, per usual. We sat in silence for a good couple of minutes, chowing down. Soon she pulled out of the lot and took a turn on the main road, headed for the mall. 

You see, Mira and I are best friends, have been since eighth grade. But we are polar opposites. She is the definition of adorable; long brown hair, wears cute crop tops and high waisted pants. The closet is full of her cute brown boots.   
And me, well, you know.   
And I swear to God, if I hear someone call me emo one more time, someone better hold me back 'cause I ain't gonna hesitate to throw hands. 

So, the first three store stops was the usual for Mira; JC Penny, Maurice's and Rue 21. To be honest, I actually like Rue 21, and I just flicked through the sweaters while Mira roamed. Mira dragged me to the dressing room when she was done, earning a few weird looks from an older couple who were there with their teen. I gave them a wink, and in return, received two horrified looks. Laughing, I clicked the door shut.

Mira turned to the articles of colorful clothing. I was already checking myself out. My hair needed a trim, bad. 

"Ok, I got two 'cause I honestly can't choose." She took off her shirt before slipping into a cute, frilly, pastel pink crop top. It emphasized her blue eyes. 

I quirked a brow as she did a little spin. Her eyes were glued on her reflection. 

"Dude, it's adorable. What's the other one?"

She pouted before striping and picking up a baby blue crop top with lace around the edges. It was cute.

She stuck her head through but her arms got caught up in the fancy strings in the back, and I helped her out. 

Once it was on she gazed in the glass, contemplating. 

"Honestly, they're both worth it." I commented, and crossed my arms.

"But like, I should only choose one-" 

"Oy, they both look amazing. If you like 'em, get 'em." 

She gave in pretty easily. I guess she really liked them. She bought a pair of faded blue skinny jeans with the shirts as well. 

We walked around the mall some more, stopping at her favorite stores. And once her arms were lined with bulky plastic bags, we finally entered one of my favorite stores, and I'm sure you can assume which ones they were. 

"Do you think that maybe I can snag that Chucky doll while we're here?" I asked, already flitting to the shelves. 

"Um," Mira thought. "I would rather you didn't, I hate the way it looks at me." She peered down the aisle lined with dark clothing to the back wall. Chucky stared at her patiently through his box. 

"I will have him eventually," I laughed. 

I pulled out a couple of graphic t-shirts, and grabbed a pair of black jeans before checking them out. Mira glanced at me with a look on her face as we walked down the large corridor. People chattered and some kids were playing loudly in the little kids play area.

"Why do you always wear black?" 

I rolled my eyes, "Mira, you've known me for ages." 

She sighed, "But why don't you at least wear pink? Just once?" 

I scoffed, "Pink doesn't look good on me." I thought before adding, "Have you seen me wear pink? Ever?" 

"No,"

"Yeah, your eyes would burn outta your sockets."

She laughed, nudging me towards the Shoe Depot.   
"Let's check that out real quick,"  
I remembered how she had been talking about wanting a pair of pink Van's for a while, and we scanned the shelves. 

Afterwards, we made our way lazily around the mall, eventually stopping at the Dipping Dots cart. We ate in contentment and people-watched at a table. 

We finished our shopping pretty quickly, and decided to head home. All the busy people and the noise of life had given me a headache, and I wanted to take a nap.


	9. Chapter 9

Mira stole the shower after we threw our bags into our rooms. I faceplanted my pillows, kissing the cotton with relief. I nudged the door closed with the foot that hung off the bed and snuggled deeply into the plush heaven. 

"Oh, how I've missed you," I muttered into it. My mind proceeded to review the days' events before pulling a blank, and soon I was out. 

I was in a large lavender field, the sky bright blue. I gazed around in wonder, the scent was lovely. A white rabbit suddenly popped out of the grass, staring with curiosity before turning 'round and jumping away.

I proceeded to run after it, chasing it through the purple flowers. My body was draped in a dewy white gown, and it brushed lavishly across my legs. I laughed in wonder. 

The rabbit had stopped at a cliffside that overlooked a beautiful, vast, blue ocean, and I paused to stare in awe. The rabbit twisted to face me, wriggling it's little pink nose. I cocked my head at it, smiling before kneeling down.

I rubbed his velvet ears, giggling, "Where is your clock, Mr. Rabbit? Aren't you late for something?"

It opened its mouth, as if to answer-- and it kept going.

My heart thumped in my throat, and I froze, too shocked to move.

Its jaw touched the grass, its yellow, stained teeth glistening with saliva. It was as if its jaw had unhinged like a snakes'. I could see down his gullet; and stomach acid had risen to my own as fear choked me. 

Suddenly, it shrieked. Loudly. Like a woman. 

I fell backwards, crawling away as fast as I could. My mouth hung open in a silent gasp. My feet kept slipping and catching the dress, making it harder to escape.

The rabbit did not cease shrieking, not stopping for even a second. Blood began to rise in its gullet, and it gurgled. Crimson goo dripped through its teeth, seeping into fur and staining the grass. 

I finally struggled to my feet, tearing my eyes away before sprinting back to whence I came-- 

"SPENCER!" 

I jolted up, scrambling blindly to my numb feet and almost falling off my bed. My eyes were wide open, but I couldn't see. I felt my way through my door and down the hall, but not before stubbing my toe, twice. A colorful string of curses flew from my mouth.

"SPENCER!" 

I felt the bathroom doorknob, shaking my head and blinking rapidly, tearing it open. My vision returned, and I was met with the sight of Mira cowering on the floor beside the toilet.

Her towel hung loosely on her thin form, held by her knuckle-white grip. She was visibly shaking, eyes wide, and breathing very, very fast. 

I dropped to my knees, crawling to her, "Mira, what happened? Are you ok? Were you screaming-?"

She pointed a shaky finger at the mirror, clutching my shirt. I turned around. 

Bold crimson letters dripped across the glass- a message. 

COME PLAY WITH THE CLOWN

All I could do was gaze in shock. Adrenaline buzzed through my veins, but I couldn't move. Mira sobbed into my shoulder, her wet hair soaking my shirt. I pulled myself to my senses, grabbing her firmly and stood up. I pushed her towards the door. 

"Go get dressed, I'll be right there,"

She protested, but I interrupted, "Go." 

As soon as her door clicked shut, I tore at the sink faucets, proceeding to splash water carelessly onto the mirror. It went everywhere; slicking the floor and the counter, glistening with a pinkish hue.

The words began to trail, and I grabbed a towel to wipe it away. My lungs were heaving, my mind running a million miles a second. Questions and disbelief clouded any ability to think.

When it was gone, and hot steam rose up to fog the mirror, I dropped the towel. I gazed at it, watching water droplets form. I zoned out, and felt as though I might fall asleep standing up. 

That son of a bitch...


	10. Chapter 10

Mira slept in my room that night. The lights also remained on until it pestered me enough to turn them off.  
The blankets were cozy with a second body under them, and to be honest, Mira was a great cuddler. She was asleep in only a few moments. The body heat knocked me out in minutes, instead of waiting for hours to fall asleep.   
Or maybe it was just the fact that someone was there to hold as our minds drifted into dreamland. Our subconscious could be eons, worlds, a whole universe away from the other, but here, at home under the fleece blankets, our bodies were safe. Together.

I was swallowed by darkness. It encased me, warm and empty. It was vast, it never seemed to end.  
There was a slight floating sensation; it was impossible to tell, however, if my body was suspended in air or water. It felt as though smoke was drifting between my fingers, crawling up my legs, twirling around my arms, gripping my throat.

It was quiet. So wonderfully quiet. The urgent continuous hum of anxiety had melted away form my head. The annoying buzz and bustle of the average everyday life was gone.   
It was peaceful. 

I remained in the darkness, reveling in the silence. I had no sense of time, but I wished it lasted forever.

The quiet had come to an end when giggling echoed from somewhere out in the blackness. It circled around, thrumming. I tried to ignore it. I wasn't afraid, I was safe here. 

Suddenly, three bright yellow orbs appeared a ways ahead of me, each twisting around the other in a slow, hypnotizing manner. They looked familiar, and I gazed at them from my nest of warmth. 

Ah... the light from the tunnel. But there's three now..?

The lights drew closer very slowly. Soon, they were within reaching distance, and I did reach out to them. I don't know why, but they were so alluring. They seemed to emit....a melancholic emotion. Something familiar. A special memory long forgotten that yearned to be remembered. A strong emotion of hiraeth engulfed my being, and my eyes teared up.

It was too late when I noticed it; my fingers had already closed around them. Their light, just before being hidden from view, had fluctuated brightly, illuminating everything.

Teeth. Lots of long, spiny, needle-sharp teeth. A long, slimy tongue wrapped around my wrist, and a pair of yellow eyes snapped open, glowing evilly at me and I screamed, just as the cavernous mouth snapped shut on my hand.

Pain seared through my body, raging like fire and my eyes snapped open to be greeted by the dark ceiling. I couldn't move, my limbs were numb and heavy. There was a weight on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. My mind was sending messages to my arms, commanding them to flail and protect the terrified body they were attached to, but there was no response. My eyes could only swivel in their sockets.   
And I could get a glance at Mira snoring peacefully beside me, her mouth agape with the most shallow breaths fluttering her flyaways.

A rustle in the darkest corner of the room drew my attention.

After a few silent moments, I tried to focus on bodily movement. I've had sleep paralysis before, so it wasn't a new sensation. The terror it brought, however, never gets old. I wondered in agitation as I attempted to wriggle some fingers.

"Hello Spencie~" A voice sang from- you guessed it- the darkest corner of the room.

My eyes locked onto a pair of familiar glowing orbs. Panic spread through my entire being, and my mind was reeling. Mira was still snoring, oblivious to the flesh-hungry monster lurking in the pitch black.

What the hell? This is so unfair; attack me while I'm having technical difficulties and can't move. Jackass.

The orbs grew closer, dancing like swinging lanterns and stopping at the edge of the mattress. A metallic scent wafted into the room, reeking of fresh blood.

"Miss me, girlie?" A wet chuckle splurged through those incisors that glistened in the moonlight. 

Even though I was terrified, and super close to pissing my pants, my limbs still refused to cooperate. The only action available was to stare.

His intricate costume jingled almost inaudible when he set a hand on the edge of the comforter. "What's wrong, cat got your tongue? Ha!" 

Mira gave a stir, sighing before settling back into the shallow pattern of sleep. Pennywise gave her a sideways glance but I suppose she was of no interest to him. At least not at the moment. 

He proceeded to climb onto the bed, crawling tantalizingly slow. And somehow, I just knew that he could smell it, feel the fear that coursed through my veins. Drool flowed down his chin, dripping onto the clean comforter. Those yellow eyes seared into mine, reading me like a book. I could feel his gaze peeking into every corner of my scared mind, and I was no longer alone. I felt naked; spread open for him to see.

Soon, he was hovering above me, grin wide with insidious glee. 

"Naked? Tut tut, Spencie, you shouldn't be thinking like that!" 

When he didn't get a response, he sat back on his heels, straddling my waist. So, he's a big guy, but holy fuck he was heavy, even for his size. Maybe it was the layers of clothes. 

"Ignoring me now, are we?" He gazed down at me, a pout beginning to form on those red lips.

The clown continued to pout and mutter. I realized with a start, that a buzzing feeling had begun in the tips of my fingers, working down to my knuckles. And soon, while pretending to be scared stiff so that the maniac above didn't catch on, I could twist my wrist. My heart jumped with excitement and relief.

"Say, what's wrong with ya anyway?" Pennywise prodded my face.

I blinked up at him. 

"Now, it's no fun when you ignore ol' Pennywise!" he hummed, crossing his arms. 

The buzzing sensation was past my elbows, and my legs were back to normal. Now all I had to do was wait for the right moment..

"Why don't we play a game?" Slobber made its way to my face, and I tried not to gag. "How about we play... the What Makes Spencer Scream game?" Pennywise cackled, he was so close that I spied pieces of flesh caught between his teeth. I tried not to think of whose kid was grinded into chow mein. 

Picking up one of my arms, he twisted each finger with his gloved hand, threatening to bite them off, and I cringed in disgust. 

Alright, I've had enough. 

Yanking back the arm he was toying with knocked him of guard, giving me the leverage to launch my hips and upper thighs off the mattress, and send him tumbling to the floor. He gave a surprised yelp, and the clash awoke Mira, who jolted up from her slumber. 

"Wha- what? Spencer?" 

I threw off the comforter, and Mira screeched from the sudden cold. Thinking quickly, I tossed the giant blanket over the disoriented clown before making a poor decision and jumping on top of him.

At this point, Mira was on her feet, and had processed the situation. I had managed to tangle Pennywise in the blanket, but he kept thrashing around like a caged animal. And screaming; my God, his scream. It made my ears bleed. Literally.

"What do I do?! I don't know what to do-"

"Turn on the lights and call 911!" I yelled, trying to retain balance. The fucker wasn't gonna get away this time. I won't let him. 

Mira rushed to flip on the lights so we could see, and dove for her phone. Meanwhile, Pennywise had managed to find a hole and slip his arm through, and reached up, grasped my arm with ghastly black claws, and threw me to the floor. I landed hard, and let out a whine. 

We watched in horror as the blanket slowly rose from the ground, giggles and inaudible words being muffled. It fell to reveal a disheveled, bloody, and very angry Pennywise.

"I think I've had my fun. Now," he took a step towards me, and I scrambled to my feet. I tried taking a step backwards, but the bed was there, and I almost fell. However, the clown caught me by the throat. 

"It's dinner time."


	11. Chapter 11

The next thing I knew, this clowns face opens up again, wider than the last time. Rows upon rows of teeth emerged, and Mira screamed bloody murder. 

Well, there was gonna be a bloody murder pretty damn soon if she didn't get going.

"Mira!" I managed to squeak, choking. She needs to move, do something.

A horrid smell rode on Pennywise's breath as he drew me closer. All I could do was stare and struggle pointlessly.

I'm gonna die.  
This is how I go..?  
No one will remember me.  
I am gonna die alone. 

Those thoughts were bouncing around in my skull like fireworks. I could see into his gullet at this point. Time had seemed to slow down as well. I was spastic, clawing at his hand like a savage, trying to free myself. 

The three little lights appeared once again in his throat, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I can not fall for that again. 

Suddenly, a screech blasted my ear drums, and I fell to the floor. Opening my eyes, I saw that Mira had managed to thrust my lava lamp down his throat.   
That was creative...

Anyway, Pennywise tumbled back, writhing about with his clown form twisting and glitching into all these other scary shapes before he spat it out. It fell to the floor with a loud thump. 

He recovered, meanwhile, Mira grabbed me and hulled me to my feet. We watched as we tried to make a run for it down the hall. He gurgled and shrieked with laughter that echoed through the apartment, chasing us as we bolted for the front door. 

We made it to her car and threw the doors open, the moon above observing in silence. A wind kicked up, whipping around us and throwing leaves into the car before we shut it out with a slam. 

Mira was shaking, digging through the glove box and her pockets, searching for the keys. She was muttering to herself, eyes wild like a mad man.

Hell, I was surprised I haven't completely lost it yet. I've seen the lights, been haunted by dreams. That clown has tortured me in his own mischievous ways, and somehow I'm still kicking. Of course, if I had the choice and wasn't such a coward I would've ended everything a while ago. By my own hands, not by becoming some lunatic's lunch.

I leaned back into the seat, searching the windows and the front door for his shadow. He didn't show. After a few seconds, the car purred to life and Mira peeled the hell out of the driveway and sped towards town. 

We stayed in a hotel for the rest of the night and part of the next day. I was scheduled off for work, and Mira had called in. After eating a greasy breakfast at the small diner downtown, we mainly just took turns in the bathroom and watched The Big Bang Theory reruns. We were both waiting in anticipation for the other to bring up the events of last night.

Eventually, I was the one who caved. I was lying in bed, and glanced at her every few seconds. She was on her phone, tucked into her own queen bedding. 

"So, you wanna talk..?" 

Mira sighed, giving no other response. 

I glanced at her, choosing to be calm and press on gently. 

"Mira. We should talk about last night,"

"No, Spencer. We don't." She snapped, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume before tossing it back on the dresser.

Ok, I'm done being gentle. This whole situation needs to be addressed. Now.

"Yes, we do." I retorted, snagging the remote and turning the television off completely.

Mira didn't even look at me when I positioned myself on the edge of the bed, resting my elbows on my knees. 

"I don't know why you're angry, but I sure as hell hope you're not angry at me." I was firm. "I didn't ask for any of this to happen. Why are you acting this way?"

Mira growled, sitting up before glaring at me. "Why? Why am I acting this way? That clown! That stupid clown- he's- he's ruining our lives!" she threw her phone across the room, and it almost went through the window. "He's ruining my life!"

I sat patiently, trying to keep my own temper. I understood why she was angry, but last time I checked, I was the one Pennywise was targeting, not her. I should be the one who's angry, and trust me, I was. Who's life was being flushed deeper and deeper into the sewers by some otherworldly being?? 

"Ok, I can see why you're mad-" I tried. 

"Oh! You can? I'm sorry, I just find that hilarious considering that you are the one who keeps dragging him back here." 

My mind blanked, I sat up in shock. "You- you're blaming me? Are you serious?" I stood up, almost shaking with anger and anxiety. "How could you say that?"

Mira flung off the sheets and also stood until she was eye level. "If you had just dropped all this clown bullshit- and just let it all go, he would've left us well enough alone! If you had just- just- ugh!"

"You are fucking insane! Do you honestly think that I wanted this to happen? That I want that crazy son of a bitch to try eating me alive almost every night?" 

Mira opened her mouth to try to argue, but shut it quickly. I glared at her, lifting my brows. 

"Well? Do you? Because by the way you're talking," I sighed, looking around with exasperation. "It seems like this just isn't-" I began to pace, running my fingers through my hair. 

Mira continued to stare quietly. 

"You know what? If you're so worried, I'll just leave." my voice dripping with sarcasm, I turned, retrieving my bags on the edge of the bed. 

"Spencer, wait-" Mira followed me around as I gathered the rest of my belongings from around the hotel room.   
"Please, I'm sorry," she stuttered. 

I halted in my tracks, turning to face her. "No, you're sorry for telling me what you're really thinking." In one swift motion, I swung my bags over my shoulder. I dropped ten bucks on the dinner table, opening the door.

"You have my number. Don't call unless you're dying." and left with a slam.


	12. Chapter 12

I had walked for about forty minutes back to the apartment. After letting myself in, and making sure it was void of a certain somebody, I made my way to my room, packing only the essentials. I had maybe a medium sized suitcase with a couple of backpacks slung over my shoulder. Making sure to snag my wallet, I changed into some loose clothing and waltzed into the kitchen to make one last sandwich.

After stuffing some snacks and bottled water into my vest pockets, I turned at the front door, taking one final look at home. I don't know when I'll see it again, or if I'll ever see it again. But I know one thing for sure...

I am going to find that clown, and I am going to fucking kill him.

~*~

It took an hour to walk back into to town to the Greyhound station. I had my debit card, and I had enough money to catch more than a couple buses to get to where I need to be. The trips were cheaper than I honestly thought they were going to be.

Waiting was the difficult part; it was late and the bus didn't show until nine pm. It was dark, and most of the chairs were taken with sleepy passersby. I had a comfortable time people watching earlier that evening. I found it entertaining to wonder about each persons' past, where they're going, and where they're future will take them. 

However, it is time that I wonder about my own. I was headed for Maine. I have a license, but no car. I had decided that as soon as I get to Derry, I'll find a job and eventually get an apartment. But with the remaining money, I will book a room for a couple days when I get there.  
It just kinda depends on how quickly I work to end this whole situation. When all is said and done, perhaps I'll return to Georgia. Assuming Mira and I fix our broken ties.  
I am not going to bet on it, though.

The bus ride was not as cramped as I thought it would be. Although, the faint, everlasting stench of body odor did not dissipate. I feared that the stench would end up sticking to my clothes.  
The bus driver had to deal with some crackhead, too, as she kept trying to board the bus without a ticket. 

I did manage to squeeze in some sleep somewhere in the four hour trip. And when the bus arrived to my stop for a transfer, I gripped my bags close. No telling what could happen out here.. Paranoia had me by the throat as I wondered slowly into the station.

I sat on a bench located along the edge of the station, out of the way while many people bustled around. It was rather busy for being so early in the morning. I had snagged a brochure from the front desks, and had a map spread across the bags upon my lap. I had a pen, and traced the routes that would be the best option to take to Maine. It would probably take a couple days with a few more transfers.

It was one-twenty in the morning, and my bus had arrived once more after a forty-five minute wait. I boarded with the other passengers. Most of us remained seated with the occasional side stop for the remainder of the day. 

At the last transfer, I had gone into the bustling restroom to cleanse myself with some body wipes, and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. A few women had squeezed their way around each other, and gave me a glance; with only a few hours of sleep in the past couple of days, I looked like a zombie. No wonder a few people had a staring problem earlier this morning. I looked like I just finished doing drugs in a back ally with my crackhead friends. I felt like it, too.  
Ah, well. One more day and I'll be in Maine, snuggled under some fresh blankets in a musty old hotel room.

~*~

I was on the last bus, riding out the last two hours until my destination, when a group of guys that seemed a bit younger than me clambered noisily onto the bus and decided to sit across from me. They were obviously on something, as they kept falling into each other and clambering about in seemingly random directions with a glazed look in their eyes. 

I had managed to avoid the kids before they got off at their stop outside a strip club. A few fellow passengers had let out the breaths they were holding, probably afraid they would've gotten robbed by those goons. Which I understand completely. I had my pepper spray gripped in my hand the entire ride.

At the end of the day, I had made it to Derry. More specifically, a little motel on the outskirts of Derry.   
I had walked into the lobby and made way to the front desk of the Sleep Suite-ly motel when I was stopped by a grungy looking bearded man asking for change. 

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir. I'm barely scrappin' by, myself."   
The man sighed, tipped his torn wool cowboy hat and made a seat by the lit fireplace. It was really cold that night, and I was happy that he at least had some form of warmth other than the raggedy trench coat he was wearing.

The old lady behind the desk was very sweet, and I booked a room for three nights. I was happy it wasn't as expensive as I was fearing.   
I grabbed my room key, an extra set of towels, and then quickly made my way to my room.


End file.
